Railway signal



Jan. 5 ,1926.

4 Sheets-Sheet l LLESPIE RAILAY SIGNAL Filed AW. 18. 1922 C. GILLESPiEI Jan. 5 1926.

I RAI LWAY S IGNAL Filed NOV. 18, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 5 1926.

C. GILLESPIE RAILWAY SIGNAL 4 Sheets-Shet 3 Filed Nov. 18, 1922 W a M 7 WW w 6 a m M [INN kh Jan. 5 1926.

C. GILLESPIE RAILWAY S IGNAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 gwuento'o 7 atfmmg Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

CHARLES GILLBSPIE, NEW BRAU-NFELS, TEXAS.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

Application. filed November 18, 1922. Serial N01. 601,875.

'1 0 all NJ/{07714325 may concern Be it known that CHARLES GILLnsPIn, a.

for auttnnatically shifting the signal to an operative position.

A still further purpose of the invent-ion isto provide a signal whichis normally disposed in an inoperative position in the street or roadway below the. surface thereof, and is 'visi le position above the street or roadway by suitable mechanism arranged tobe'controlled by a passing train.

Other purposes and advantages otther invention as well as the novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts constituting the preferred embodiment disclosed herein: will be more readily under stood from the following description and accompanying drawings.

In. the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan or diagrammatical-view of a railway crossing, showing the application of my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary verticalv sec:

tional view through the si na-l device asit.

will appear when positione in the roadway. Figure 3 is atop plan View of thesignal device with the. cover and signal panel removed to show the interior construction.

Figure 4 is a front View of the. signal.

panel and its supporting shaft.

Figure 5 ]S a View similar to Figure 1 but showing a modification of the invention.

Figure 6 is avertieal sectional view through one of the track railsand attached Briefly stated-the invention contemplates the positioning of a signal in the roadway on each side of the intersectin'gtrack. Each signal preferably conprisesa box or casing wliich is embedded in: the roadway with the adapted to be raised to an operative and:

top of the box disposed flush with or below the surface. of the roadway. A portion of the top of the box is formed by a pivotally mounted panel normally disposed in a horis zontal andinoperative position, but adapted to be raisedto anupright and operative position through the instrumentality ofsuitable mechanism, the operationof which. is automatically controlled. by a passing train. Preferably the pivoted-panel is actuated by a. fluid motor. receiving its fluid. supply from one or more compressors which may be operated by the wheels of'the assing train or by means of a motor inclu ed in anormally open circuit, the closing of. which is effected through the wheels of) the approaching .trai-n..

Referring more particularly tot-he drawings, 5 and 6 designate the signals. which areplaced in the roadway A. on opposite sidesof the track B.

As. shown to advantagein Figures 2 and 3 each signal comprises av casing7 which isv embedded'in the roadwaywith thetop or cover. portion of the casing substantially level with the surface of the roadway. Preferably, thetop of the casing is formed intwo parts-- comprising a stationary part 8 and a movable part 8, the latter being adapted to. function as a. signal'pane'l and being provided on one. side withtlie word Stop. Thepart or panel 8 is. fixed to a shaft 9. through the medium of suitable bracketslO and set screws 11, the ends of said'shaftbeing rotatably mounted in suit able bearingscarried by the sidewalls of the casing 7 At a. point intermediate its length the shaft .9 is provided with spaced cran'k arms 12-which are pivotally secured at their free ends to, a plunger rod 13 by means of an.

elongated pin 14. The plunger rod 13 is carried by a piston 15 operating in a cylinder- 16 which ispivotslly mounted in the casing through the medium of laterally projectingrlugs 17 carried by. the cylinder and pivot members 18' extending through the sides of the casing 7' and receiyed in. suitable recesses or sockets pro-. vided in the ends or said lugs.

Near its opposite ends the pin 14 carries Suitable eye bolts 19 to which are anchored one terminal of a pair of coil springs 20,- the remaining terminals of said springs being.

anchored to eye bolts 21 carried by the lug 17.

in w ardly' The cylinders 16 of the two signals are provided with air inlets 22 which are coupled together through the medium of hose connections 23 and a rigid pipe or conduit 2 t. The hose connections 23 are connectedbetween the inlets 22 and the opposite ends of the conduit 2 so as to permit the cylinders 15 to have a slightly pivotal movement without disrupting the air connection.

As shown to advantage in Figure 1, the intermediate portion of pipe 24 is connected by oppositely extending pipes 25 with a plurality of air con'ipressors 26 positioned adjacent one rail of the track B and at each side of the roadway A.

Each compressor 26 comprises a body or casing 28 having a suitable valve controlled inlet 29 and an outlet 30, the latter being connected directly to the pipe 25. The pis ton 31 of the compressor is provided with a stem 32 extending upwardly through a suitable gland nut or packing at the top of the casing and terminating in an enlarged head 33 which is disposed close to one rail of the track and projects slightly above the tread or" the rail so as to be engaged and depressed by the flange or a wheel passing over the latter. This head 33 is normally maintained in elevated position by means of a suitable spring 3%- confined therebetween and the top of the casing 28.

In order to avoid rupture of the cylinder in the event that the stroke imparted to the piston 31 should, for any reason be excessive, I provide the cylinder with a false bottom 35, resiliently supported on a suitable coil spring 36 so that the bottom of the cylinder is yieldable to the pressure of the piston when in contact therewith.

In the operation of the signal mechanism the wheels of a train approaching the roadway A from either direction will engage and operate the heads of the compressors on that side of the road corresponding to the direction from which the train is approaching. Air is thus supplied through the pipes 25 and 24; to the cylinders 16 thus moving the pistons 15 toward the free ends of the cylinders for swinging the signal panels 8' to an upright and operative position above the surface of the roadway A, so as to serve as a warning to trafiie passing in both directions toward the railway track.

It will be understood, of course, that suitable check valves may be provided at the intersection of the pipes 2% and so as to prevent the air delivered by one set of compressors from passing to the compressors of the opposite set.

After the train has passed, the compressed air is exhausted from the cylinder 16 through the mecium of a small exhaust opening 37 and it the action of gravity is not sui'iicient to return the pistons and panels 8 to normal position, this will be accomplished by the springs 20 which have been placed under tension by the movement of the panels to operative position.

in the modifications shown in Figure 5, the pipe 2a is connected by a pipe 24: to a single compressor 33, the shaft of which is directly coupled to the shaft of an electric motor 39. One terminal of the motor 39 is connected to a line wire L0 while the remaining terminal thereoi is connected to the contact ll of a magnetic switch 42, a further contact 4L3 of said switch is connected directly to the ren'iaining line wire a l: and the latter is connected by a tap wire 4t?) to one rail of the track 3. The remaining rail of the track is connected by a wire 46 to a terminal 4a? of the relay 4:2. 48 indicates a further wire connected between the line wire 40 and a terminal of the said relay.

The sections oi the rails to which the wires and 46 are connected are insulated from the remaining rail sections as indicated at 59, the length of the insulated sections being approximately 1,000 feet. lVhen the track circuit is closed by a passing train relay 42 will be energized to close contacts 43-41 which closes the motor circuit permitting the current to pass through the wire t-Lt to the terminal 43 of the movable part of the relay, and from the terminal 4A to one terminal of the motor 39 from whence it passes from the remaining terminal of the motor to the line wire 40.

As magnetic relays of the type above re ferred to are well known it is thought that the description given is sufiicient tor the purposes of this invention as the only essential requisite is that the relay shall act to close a motor circuit excluding the rails of the track and the metal work of the train which are initially utilized to close the circuit including the magnetic part of the relay so as to attract thereto the movable partearrying the terminals of the motor circuit.

Having thus tully described my invention, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to the exact details oi": construction, combination and arrangement or parts herein disclosed, but reserve the right to resort to such modifications as may be found desirable, providing, of course, that the same do not depart from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

hat I claim is:

1. A signal or" the character described. comprising a casing, a signal panel normally closing the top of the casing, a shaft extending across the casing and supporting said panel for swinging movement in a vertical direction, and means contained within the casing for operating said shattcomprising a cylinder, a piston operating in the cylinder and connected with said shaft, means for supplying fluid to the cylinder to move the piston in one direction and spring means connected between the cylinder and the piston for moving the latter in the opposite direction.

2. A signal of the character described comprising a casing, a shaft journalled to extend transversely thereof, a signal panel fixed to said shaft and normally disposed in horizontal position, a crank arm fixed to said shaft, a cylinder having a piston operating therein, a piston rod having one end connected to said piston, a transverse pin coupling the remaining end of the piston rod to the aforesaid crank arm, pivot means supporting said cylinder for swinging movement and spring means connected between said pivot means and said pin and serving to resist movement of the piston in one direction and means for supplying fluid to the cylinder to move the piston against the resistance of said spring.

3. A signal of the character described comprising a casing having an opening in its top Wall, a normally horizontal s gnal panel closing said opening, a shaft journalled in the sides of the casing and extended beneath the panel adjacent one longi: tudinal edge thereof, means securing the panel to said shaft so as to move therewith, a crank arm fixed to said shaft, a cylinder contained Within said casing, pivot means supporting said cylinder at one end to permit vertical swinging movement thereof, a piston operating in said cylinder, a piston rod fixed at one end to said piston, a pin coupling the other end of the piston rod to the free end of the aforesaid crank arm, means for supplying fluid to the cylinder to move the piston in one direction and spring means arranged to resist the aforesaid move ment of the piston and to return the latter to normal position subsequent to such movement.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature.

CHARLES GILLESPIE. 

